The metro area express (MAX) light rail system originally proposed by former Transport Minister Troy Buswell in 2012 hangs in limbo at present, with the state government announcing a three year deferral on the project.

The project now has a predicted completion date of late 2022.

While the Public Transport Authority website features a claim of the government’s commitment to delivering in full, Premier Colin Barnett has refused to guarantee the MAX project will be built by the promised date.

Nalder’s plan, involving high capacity buses running along dedicated bus lanes, is something he believes it would be “irresponsible” not to seriously consider. However, the proposal has already come under fire from multiple sources.

“Sometimes I think it’s just about not doing anything,” he says. “If they keep talking about plans they don’t have to actually deliver any of the things they promised.”

Though there are many conflicting opinions, the one thing clear in all of this seems to be that Perth in fact does need MAX – or something equally efficient – in order to continue expanding and ultimately become a more liveable city.